Traffic snarl on the approach road to the Kalkaji flyover in New Delhi after torrential rains lashed the city. (Shubham Gupta/HT Photo)

A DTC bus stuck at the flooded Minto Road underpass after heavy shower in New Delhi. PTI Photo

Heavy rain lashed the national capital, causing massive traffic jams due to water logging as vehicles had to negotiate flooded streets. (AFP Photo)

Pedestrians walk through a water logged street during a heavy downpour in New Delhi. (AFP Photo)

Pedestrians try to make their way through a waterlogged Janpath in New Delhi. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

A motorcyclist wades through a waterlogged road after a heavy shower in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)

A bus tries to cross a water logged street during a heavy downpour in New Delhi. (AFP Photo)

School children try to cross a flooded street in New Delhi following heavy showers. (AFP Photo)

Heavy rain lashed the national capital along with several parts of north India on Saturday, causing massive traffic jams due to waterlogging as vehicles had to negotiate flooded streets which exposed the national capital's lack of preparedness.

Waterlogging was reported in several low-lying areas of New Delhi while in some parts, rainwater is said to have flooded the basements of flats.

Within an hour of the showers, there was chaos on almost all arterial roads as traffic signals did not function properly and choked drains flooded the streets.

Trees in some parts of the city were uprooted in the heavy rainfall, causing disruption in power supply in some areas.

"There are reports of traffic jams from various areas in the city, we are collecting the data. Traffic jams have been observed due to water-logging in areas like South Delhi, South Extension and New Delhi," said DCP (Traffic) Bharti Arora.

Traffic snarl on the approach road to the Kalkaji flyover in New Delhi after torrential rains lashed the city. (Shubham Gupta/HT Photo)

Pedestrians were seen wading through streets flooded by rain water and overflowing drains. "It took me 40 minutes to reach the Akshardham metro station from my home, a distance which I cover within five minutes every day. Traffic was moving very slow," said Ridhi Chouhan, who works at a private bank in Noida.

Moderate to heavy rainfall and thundershowers occurred at most places in western Uttar Pradesh and at several places in its eastern parts as the south-west monsoon continued to lash the state.

Saharanpur recorded 210mm rainfall while Lalitpur got 150mm rain. Banda and Rae Bareli received 120mm each with Palia Kalan and Karvi both recording showers of 110mm.

The Sharda river was flowing above the red mark at Palia Kalan while the Rapti was near the danger level at Bhinga (Shrawasti), Balrampur, Bansi and Birdghat (Gorakhpur).

The Ghaghra had breached the red mark and was rising at Elgin Bridge in Barabanki and in Ayodhya.

A DTC bus stuck at the flooded Minto Road underpass after heavy shower in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)

The Quano river, which was flowing near the danger level at Chandradeep Ghat (Gonda) and Mukhlispur (Sant Kabirnagar), was, however, receding, CWC sources added.

Himachal too saw normal life thrown out of gear as as heavy rains triggered landslides, road breaches and uprooted trees, blocking roads in the interior areas.

Incessant heavy rains forced people to stay indoors and people living along the banks of the rivers have been asked to remain alert.

Sujanpur Tira in Hamirpur district was wettest in the region with 187 mm of rains till this morning while Nahan and Renuka in Sirmaur district recorded 185 mm and 169 mm rains, followed by Dehra Gopipur 160 mm, Dharamshala 148 mm, Nadaun 143 mm, Jogindernagar 125mm, Dharamshala (AWS)-111, Bangana 106 mm, Una and Mehre 105 mm.

Intermittent rains are continuing in the region, causing marginal fall in maximum day temperature.

The local MeT office has warned of very heavy rains at some places and rains and thundershowers at many places in the state during next 24 hours as a cyclonic circulation extending upto 0.9 km above sea level, lies over Punjab and adjoining Haryana.

at a few places in Bharatpur and Udaipur divisions in the last 24 hours.

Isolated showers were also reported in the Ajmer and Bikaner divisions.